Exploring the Pathway of Promoting Residents Support for Sustainable Tourism Development: Do the Sustainable Development Goals Really Matter?

Residents' support for sustainable tourism development is a critical focus in the context of a growing global emphasis on sustainable development. Numerous studies have explored residents' contributions to sustainable tourism development; however, limited research has examined the role of sustainable development goal (SDG) practices in enhancing residents' support for sustainable tourism. This study provides an empirical analysis of how SDG practices influence residents' support for sustainable tourism development, with destination psychological ownership serving as a mediating factor. The research involved 393 residents from the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Tanzania. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data, revealing that SDG practices significantly influence residents' support for sustainable tourism development through destination psychological ownership. These findings indicate that well-defined and effectively implemented SDG practices foster greater resident support for sustainable tourism initiatives. The study recommends integrating SDG practices into tourism operations to strengthen residents' support for sustainable tourism development.